Medellín's rainy season, honestly

Sooner or later everyone researching Medellín finds the rainfall figure, and it stops them cold. Roughly 2,958 to 3,000 millimetres a year — about 116 to 118 inches. Seattle gets around 38. London gets around 24.

And yet nobody who lives in Medellín describes it as a rainy city, and the tourism photographs are not fraudulent. Understanding why is the difference between ruling the city out on a spreadsheet and understanding what you would actually be living in.

When it rains

Medellín has two wet seasons and two dry ones, alternating roughly every three months:

• Wet: April–May, and September–November
• Dry: December–February, and June–August

April is the wettest month, averaging around 347mm — close to 14 inches. May has the most rain days and the heaviest cloud cover, around 65%. November has the highest humidity of the year, near 88%. January is the driest month at roughly 129–147mm.

Note that 'dry' is relative. Rain falls in Medellín in every month of the year; the dry seasons are drier, not dry.

What a rainy day is actually like

The characteristic pattern in the wet season is a bright or hazy morning, building cloud through the early afternoon, and a heavy downpour somewhere between two and six in the evening that lasts anywhere from twenty minutes to a couple of hours. Then it stops, the streets steam, and the evening is clear.

It is heavy while it lasts. Storm drains overflow, roads flood at the usual corners, and crossing a street can mean wading. Umbrellas are less useful than they sound because the rain often comes sideways; locals mostly wait it out under an awning with a coffee, which tells you how long it usually lasts.

The rhythm has a real effect on how you plan a day. Errands, appointments and walking happen in the morning. That is not a hardship — it is a habit you acquire in your first month and then stop noticing.

What genuinely does go wrong

Two things, and they are worth taking seriously rather than waving away.

Landslides and road damage. Antioquia is steep, and sustained heavy rain causes landslides on mountain roads. This periodically affects the routes to Guatapé and other day-trip destinations, and occasionally closes them. If you are planning a long road trip in April, May or October, ask locally about conditions rather than assuming the road is open.

Damp and mould. High humidity plus heavy rain plus apartments built without central heating means mould is a routine maintenance issue rather than an emergency. Poorly ventilated bathrooms and north-facing rooms are the usual sites. Check for it before signing a lease, ventilate, and expect to run a dehumidifier in a closet or a wardrobe if you keep leather or paper.

What doesn't go wrong

There are no hurricanes. Medellín is inland, in a mountain valley, far from the Caribbean track. There is no snow, no ice, no freeze, and nothing that requires shovelling, salting or a winter tyre.

For a retiree coming from the American Midwest or Northeast, that is worth weighing against the rain honestly. Twelve inches of rain in April is inconvenient. Ice on a driveway in February is how people over 65 break hips.

Practical adjustments

• Schedule mornings. Appointments, errands and walks before lunch.
• Shoes with grip, always. Wet tile and polished stone are the everyday hazard, far more than the rain itself.
• A light waterproof, not an umbrella. A packable jacket beats an umbrella in sideways rain and in wind.
• Ventilate. Open windows daily in the dry hours. It is the single most effective thing against mould.
• Build slack into travel. Wet-season road journeys run long. The long day trips are better done June to August.